Today, seemingly out of nowhere, Nintendo announced the newest member of the 3DS family, yet it wasn't what anyone could have been expecting. The Nintendo 2DS is, in its simplest form, a 3DS without 3D. This new handheld, being released on October 12th for $129.99, shows a step backwards for the 3DS and will raise a lot of questions and eyebrows leading up to launch. However, this odd looking device is proof that Nintendo still has it, and will help them continue their lock-down of the handheld market.

We all are accustomed to handheld redesigns, and it makes sense to keep improving and keeping your system in tune with advancements in technology. The Nintendo 2DS is none of that. It strips the 3DS of its namesake and forgoes the clamshell design for a flattened one. Most people will write off this move, but what they don't realize is that this device is not for them.

The 2DS is for children seven and under. It is for the parents who don't want to spend a lot of money for a system that will be thrown around and bombarded with spilled food and drink. This is a smart move for Nintendo and will bring over a lot of those on the fence. It is a de facto price drop for those parents who may have not ever allowed their children to use the 3D function in the first place.

The sound thinking of this new device doesn't stop there, as it is releasing alongside Pokemon X and Y. This will be one of the biggest launches for 3DS/2DS, and lowering that barrier of entry will be very tempting. Not only that, but with Black Friday just around the corner, people looking for bargains will appreciate that $40 decrease from the current 3DS model.

That's not to say that this is a foolproof endeavor, however. The marketing needs to be sound or it will run into the same issues the Wii U had when compared to the Wii. All the games say Nintendo 3DS, and when a person buys a 2DS they may be confused as to what can be played on it. Nintendo must make that very visible and stress the fact that this is for the young gamers out there and will do everything they need it to do.

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If a man or woman was given a dollar every time someone doubted Nintendo, they would very rich indeed.

This move is just Nintendo being Nintendo. With the 3DS dominating the handheld space, they could have just improved the 3DS a little more and added a few more bells and whistles. They chose to go the opposite direction and hit a segment of the market that may prove to be very even more fruitful.

If a man or woman was given a dollar every time someone doubted Nintendo, they would very rich indeed. Nintendo goes out of its way to innovate and give us what we had no idea that we wanted. While the 2DS will not be for many of you who are reading this right now, it's important to understand that is exactly the point. They already have a great portion of you locked down, and they are continuing to look forward.

The 3DS is a storm that is sweeping the world, and with the 2DS, it has only become more powerful.

How do you feel about the Nintendo 2DS announcement? Was it a smart move, or one that will only hurt Nintendo? To all those with children, would you pick this up for them? Let me know in the comments below and be a part of a very intriguing conversation!